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UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE R. PRUITT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES W.,JOHNSON, SAME PLACE.

' CANNING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,323, dated anuary 9, 1894.

Application filed September 11, 1893. Serial No. 485,287. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE R. PRUITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented a certain new and usefulflmprovement in Canning Machinery, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to an improvement in canning machinery, and more particularly to to a canning crate adapted to support the filled cans while undergoing processing.- Heretofore it has been customary .to place the filled cans end upon end within a basket or crate, after which the whole is submerged 5 within the processing kettle. As there isno support other than the combined weight of the superimposed cans to protect the bottoms from internal strain caused by the steam generated within the can, quitea large per cent. of all the cans within the crate will be found to have bulged heads, or bottoms, or what is known in the art as swelled heads, such bulging being absolute proof that the can is faulty and that air has entered, which would 5 cause its contents to spoil.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome this serious obstacle by providing a canning crate whereby the heads and bottoms of the cans are braced against strain, so that 3 any danger of bulging will be efiectually overcome.

With this object in view the invention consists broadly of a series (two or more) of perforated disks or plates, and means whereby the said plates may be securely clamped against the heads and bottoms of the cans.

The invention further consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a canning crate, as will be hereinafter fully de- 4 scribed and claimed. I In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1, is a perspective view showing the crate filled with cans, and the clamping rods for binding the plates together. Fig. 2, is a detail view of one of the plates. Fig. 3, is a detail view of a modified form of clamping rod.

5 Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 are the top and bottom plates of a canning crate, and as each of these plates is of the same construction a description of one will answer for both. The plate is provided on its edge with a flange 3 extending at right angles to the plane of the plate, and with a series of perforations 4 through which the water in the processing kettle is free to circulate.

The object of the flange is to prevent the cans when placed in position from falling out when the crate is being lifted into the processing kettle. Arranged around the periphery of the plate is a series of eyes or projections 5 which are designed to be engaged by a series of clamping rods 6 which rods may be of any desired construction, but preferably provided at one end with a hook adapted to enter the eye or engage the projection, and the other end with a toe or angular projection for engaging the eye on the other plate. If desired, the clamping rods may be provided with a turn-buckle as shown in Fig. 3, by means of which the plates may be firmly drawn together.

The intermediate plate 7, is provided with a double flange-that is, one extending at right angles to the plane of the surface of the plate on both sides, so that when the cans are packed in position tllG'bOtllOlllS of one series of cans will contact with one of the flanges, and the tops of the other series with the other flange, and the plate is also provided witha series of perforations 8 for the same purpose as that stated in connection with the plates 1 and 2.

At the center of the top plate 1 is an eye 9 through which the hook of the hoisting mechanism is inserted so as to permit the crate to be lifted into and out ofthe processing kettle.

In using the improved crate, the clamping o rods are removed and the bottom plate-2 is filled with cans. An intermediate plate is then placed on top of the cans, and upon the top of it are placed other cans, and so on until the desired number have been placed in the 5 crate, and the top plate is then put in position and clamped securely in place and then immersed within the processing kettle.

While I have described the platesl, 2, and 7 as circular in form, it is to be understood that they may be made of any other preferred form, and of any material. It is also to be understood that the crate is adapted to be used in any kind of canning in which the processing is accomplished by hot water, steam, or any other agent.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A canning crate comprising a top and bottom perforated plate provided each with a peripheral flange extending at right angles to the face of the plate, a center perforated plate provided on each side with a flange extending at right angles to the faces of the plate, and clamping rods in engagement with the top and bottom plates for binding the plates in operative position.

2. A canning crate comprising a top and EUGENE R. PRUI'IT.

Witnesses:

LoUIs P. KRUMM, J r., WM. II. JONES. 

